Alert archive / Texas / Mesoscale Discussions in 2021

Mesoscale Discussion 382

April 14, 202114 counties in Texas

The Storm Prediction Center issued this mesoscale discussion at Apr 14, 2021, 12:43 PM CDT for 14 counties in Texas. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Apr 14, 2021, 12:43 PM CDT (17:43 UTC)
Expired
Apr 14, 2021, 2:45 PM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Concerning
Severe potential...watch possible
Chance of a watch
40%

Counties Bee County, TX, Colorado County, TX, DeWitt County, TX, Fort Bend County, TX, Goliad County, TX, Gonzales County, TX, Harris County, TX, Jackson County, TX, Karnes County, TX, Lavaca County, TX, Refugio County, TX, Victoria County, TX, Wharton County, TX, Wilson County, TX

The radar

The Austin/San Antonio radar (KEWX), 115 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:44 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The watches that followed

Watches SPC issued over any of the same counties within four hours of this discussion.

The nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 12:00Z, 5.7 hours before the alert went out and 164 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Corpus Christi, TX at 12:00Z on 2021-04-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2595 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Corpus Christi, TX at 12:00Z on 2021-04-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 16 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
2595 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-17 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
477 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
16 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
152 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.1
Supercell composite
6.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

831 
ACUS11 KWNS 141744
SWOMCD
SPC MCD 141743 
TXZ000-141945-

Mesoscale Discussion 0382
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
1243 PM CDT Wed Apr 14 2021

Areas affected...portions of the Texas Coastal Plain

Concerning...Severe potential...Watch possible 

Valid 141743Z - 141945Z

Probability of Watch Issuance...40 percent

SUMMARY...Storm development over the next couple of hours will be
accompanied by some increase in risk for large hail and locally
strong/damaging wind gusts through this afternoon.  A WW may be
required.

DISCUSSION...Latest surface analysis shows a cold front across
western portions of the Texas Coastal Plain/eastern fringes of the
Hill Country, and then westward into the Edwards Plateau. 
Meanwhile, a sea-breeze boundary has pushed into coastal counties,
with high theta-e marine air along and east of this boundary.

Though capping (near 700 mb) remains established across the area,
continued heating/mixing of the boundary layer will weaken the cap
locally -- particularly near the aforementioned surface boundaries
where ascent is locally maximized.  With steep lapse rates overlying
this region above the capping layer, the destabilizing environment
-- represented by mixed-layer CAPE values now in excess of 2500 J/kg
across the region per RUC-based objective analyses -- combined with
the weakening cap will support local/robust updraft development.

While deep-layer shear is not excessive, partially owing to modest
low-level flow, ample (around 30 kt) mid-level west-southwesterlies
are contributing to shear sufficient for multicell organization, and
even some mid-level updraft rotation.  As such, potential for hail
and/or locally strong outflow winds will be possible with a few of
the strongest storms.  We will continue to monitor development, for
signs that convective development/coverage may warrant WW issuance.

..Goss/Thompson.. 04/14/2021

...Please see www.spc.noaa.gov for graphic product...

ATTN...WFO...HGX...CRP...EWX...

LAT...LON   29279811 29559761 29829683 29909598 30189492 29659475
            28749616 28169709 28299783 28449828 28839839 29279811

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 14, 5:17 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAngelina, Hardin, Jasper, Liberty, Montgomery, Nacogdoches and 9 more2 hr
Apr 14, 1:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCAransas, Bee, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Fort Bend and 10 more6 hr
Apr 14, 4:49 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCArcher, Baylor, Callahan, Clay, Eastland, Jack and 8 more116 min
Apr 14, 5:27 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAransas, Bee, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, DeWitt and 12 more2 hr

Nearby

Mesoscale Discussions in Texas, 2021Every mesoscale discussion in 2021

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.